Knit In Public Events Set For Saturday

Get your yarn and needles ready for Knit In Public Day events Saturday.

Knitters worldwide will gather Saturday for the 10th annual World Wide Knit in Public Day.

Many knitters will be bringing their yarn and needles to their local coffee shop or park. But for those who want company while they knit, there are 10 events scheduled in Connecticut.

Janet D'Agostino-Neill of New Britain has organized an event at the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in West Hartford for the second year in a row.

"It just seemed like a good social event, a way to have people that enjoy knitting get together," D'Agostino-Neill said.

Crocheters are also welcome to attend the event, scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. at the rose garden at 1561 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. D'Agostino-Neill, who's been knitting since 1979, said she's happy to help those who are stuck on a difficult project, and she's also bringing yarn and needles for anyone wanting to learn.

"It's certainly something that people can do all their lives. It makes good presents, it's just fun, it's relaxing," D'Agostino-Neill said.

World Wide Knit in Public began as a grassroots movement in 2005, and has spread quickly thanks to knitting-centric Internet forums such as Knitting Paradise and Ravelry.com.

Knitters are also active on social media, especially Instagram, where they share progress photos of their work and offer advice and encouragement.

Pamela Steele, owner of Pamela Roose yarn shop at 88 Court Street in Middletown, has been hosting a Knit in Public event for several years. Crafters are welcome to bring an umbrella and chair and knit or crochet on the sidewalk outside the shop where it'll be most visible to passers-by. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available and knitters can move inside the shop if they prefer.

"It just lets other people know that this is still vibrant, it's still alive," said Steele, adding that knitters are "young, old and in-between, men, women."

Knitting is experiencing a resurgence in popularity among younger people, the variety of available yarn has exploded in recent years. When she started knitting 50 years ago, Roose said, the only commercial yarn available was the standard and scratchy Sugar 'n Cream cotton, wool, and Red Heart acrylic.

Now, commercial yarns not only contain a plethora of luxurious fibers in a rainbow of colors, high-quality yarn and fiber from farms are available at yarn stores, farmers markets, fiber festivals, and online marketplaces like Etsy and Big Cartel.

Steele also emphasized the health benefits of knitting, and many recent studies have shown knitting can help ease the effects of anxiety, depression, heart disease, arthritis and other stress-related ailments.

Wesleyan students often come to the shop to blow off steam during exam time, and, "I've had men come in who are being taught to knit because they've had heart attacks and their doctors have prescribed it," Steele said. "It goes beyond just this nice little hobby."

World Wide Knit in Public events are scheduled for Saturday in Branford, Bristol, Glastonbury, Marlborough, Middletown, New Milford, Plainfield, Southington, Torrington and West Hartford. For details on events and more information, visit wwkipday.com.